Love Is Funny
by Crazy Penguin Lord
Summary: Garu is seventeen, Pucca is fifteen, but their relationship is the same as ever. A terrible accident, however, forces Garu to look deeper into his own heart for the truth. Now he needs to realize what's important, before the storm hits and he loses it all
1. Garu's Rant

Thank you for opting to read my fanfic! I hope it is to your liking. I don't really have it all planned yet, but expect it to be somewhere around fifteen to thirty chapters long. It all depends on what I can come up with. Anyway, enjoy the prologue (in Garu's POV!!)!!

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Pucca has been my 'girlfriend' for nearly ten years now. It's ridiculous, really. She's only fifteen, and I turned seventeen just a few months ago. Yup, that's right- I've been her 'boyfriend' since the tender age of seven. 

I first came to Sooga Village when I was six years old, after the death of my father. My mother told me he had been very ill, and that was how he had died. It wasn't until much later that I'd found out that it was hara-qiri (1). All my father's life, he'd only wanted to restore our family's honor. Some ancestor of mine apparently did some horribly dishonorable thing, no one really knows what, and it's up to the rest of us to fix that- now, more specifically, me.

My mother sent me to Sooga to learn the life of a ninja, and, of course, to find a way to restore my family's honor.

The villagers were always friendly and helpful to me, but I still missed my family that first long year. I knew that there was no way I could go back empty-handed, so I drowned my loneliness with rigorous training. Every morning, I'd start with a simple run through the bamboo forest, with a few jumping exercises here and there too. After that, I'd train at the local dojo until noon. I'd give myself a lunch break, in which I'd work on my house, then practice combat skills with my ninja dummies. Once it started getting dark, I would finally call it a day and prepare my dinner.

This was my life for a whole year. The same thing, every day. The only people I really knew were the Dumpling Brothers, who ran the Guh-Ryong restaurant, and a couple of others I recognized from the dojo. I managed to keep up with what was going on; being a ninja-in-training, it was mandatory to know my surroundings.

I guess that was how I first heard about Pucca. Her parents were old friends of the Dumpling Brothers, but had died in some freak accident. And so it was that Uncle Dumpling, Linguini, and Ho became her official guardians.

I thought nothing of it at the time- what did some five-year-old girl matter to me? Nothing, is what I thought. How horribly, horribly, horribly, _horribly_ wrong I was.

It had been just another day in my life. I'd finished training at the dojo for the day, eaten lunch, and was on my way back home for a nap. Just as I was turning onto the path that led straight home, I heard something. I tracked the sound for a hundred or so yards to find a small girl crying at the base of a weak but branchiful (2) tree. A broken branch lay next to her, immediately clarifying the situation.

I cautiously approached her, not sure how to handle this- girls aren't exactly my thing- and knelt down next to her. She looked up at me with teary eyes, sniffled, then sobbed, "I felled out of the twee and- and- and hurt my knee."

I took in her pitiful appearance, from her tear-stained face and banged-up knee to the giant red shirt that threatened to swallow her whole, and- I _still_ can't believe, to this very day, that I did this- kissed her scraped knee. When I looked back at her, she looked completely bewildered, but then her face split into the most brilliant smile I've ever seen before. She threw herself at me and wrapped her arms as tightly as possible around my middle. There are no words to describe the stampede of emotions that trampled me then. Confusion, fear, disgust, fear, shock, confusion, more fear, and, oddest of all, like something was right. Like I'd done something I was supposed to.

I took her back home to Guh-Ryong. She held my hand the whole way, and kept giggling and smiling. I have to admit, it was kinda cute. The Dumpling Brothers fussed over her like a flock of hens, of course, and thanked me in earnest for 'rescuing' their 'beloved Pucca' and a bunch of other lovey-dovey stuff like that. To be honest, I was a little overwhelmed by it all.

The next morning, I found Pucca standing by my door with a small piece of paper in her hand. On it was a crayoned drawing of the two of us holding hands, with a scrawled 'Thank You' in big red letters. I blinked a couple of times, not entirely sure what to think. She just giggled delightedly and skipped off.

And that was how Pucca and I became friends.

How, then, did it become what it is now? I'm still not exactly sure. I mean, I should've seen it coming! I was the best ninja in all of Sooga! Why didn't I ever notice it? All of the signs were there, laid out in front of me. I was just too young, too scared, to see them. The possibility of her falling in love with me had never occurred to me before. And how could it? I was only seven!

She always wanted to hold my hand on our walks together. I never thought anything of it. She was a little girl, right? And little girls like holding hands. At least, that's what I figured at the time.

Then there was the time when she did her hair to match mine. I'd only recently started tying my hair up, it was getting far too long to be practical in training, and she almost immediately starts tying her hair up as well. Not exactly like mine, but in more of an odango (3) style.

She even took a vow of silence, just as I had. I remember how fascinated she'd been with my silence. Every time I would simply nod or grunt in reply to one of her never-ending questions, she'd giggle and wrap her arms around my middle. And I mean it when I say every single time!

These small signs continued for the next few months, until one day in late September. It was your typical sunshine-y, flower-blooming, bird-twittering day in Sooga, aside from the fact that the first chills of autumn were blowing in. Pucca and I were engaging in our usual activity of writing messages to each other in the sand. Nothing seemed amiss, until, out of the blue, Pucca writes, 'Do you like me, Garu?'

I blinked, my typical expression of surprise, and wrote back, 'Of course I do. You're my only friend here, Pucca.'

Her crestfallen countenance befuddled me. Sadly, she replied, 'I don't mean like a friend.'

The message was so faint that I had to lean real close to read it. I squinted a little, not sure that I read it right…and then the full meaning of it smacked me right in the face. Scrabbling at one last fragile hope, I asked, 'Then how do you mean?'

For years and years, I regretted asking that question. Her face immediately flushed. Then, with absolutely no warning whatsoever, she grabbed my hand, leaned forward, and kissed me right on the lips! It was mortifying.

I tried to avoid her as much as possible the next few days, trying desperately to figure out what exactly had happened. Of course, she only took this as incentive to chase after me and kiss me again. And again. And again. And again.

And this is how it's been for the past ten years. She approaches, I run, she chases, I run faster, she tackles, I try to escape, she kisses me half to death. Every single day. Day in, day out. Not even the night was safe anymore! Well, I managed to convince her to at least let me get the sleep I needed. She quickly agreed to that, of course, never wanting her precious Garu to suffer. Yecch.

So anyway, that's how it's been for us. I eventually came to see her as only an obsessive love-crazed girl that must be avoided at all costs. Gone were the innocent days of our friendship, when I enjoyed her company. Never again would our life be like that again. For the past ten years, I've known only one absolute truth in my life- there was no way I could _ever_ love Pucca.

But, as always, fate had something different in store for me.

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So, that's the end of the prologue! I'll have chapter 1 up soon (I hope... ; ). Here's a list explaining some things that might not be common knowledge- 

1) hara-qiri- Hara-qiri is Japanese for committing suicide out of loss of honor. For you history/samurai nuts, it's like how the samurai would commit senpuku if they failed a mission or dishonored their lords. A little morbid, yes, but it made a lot of sense to me when I came up with it.

2) branchiful- This is a word we came up with at camp. Its meaning is pretty obvious. A branchiful tree, for instance, would be a tree with a lot of branches on it.

3) odango- This is the Japanese word for the dumpling hairstyle that Pucca has (and some Sailor Moon characters, too).

Please review!!! Reviews make the sun rise every morning (yay).


	2. Dreams and Ramblings

Wow, I'm glad people like my story so much! One review, and a story-favorite, author-favorite, story alert, AND author alert, all within two hours of posting my story!! I'm awesome. Cookies- no, CHEESECAKES- to you both!! Homemade. With Oreos. Lolz. Well, by your request, here's Chapter 1.

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The first rays of the morning light brightened my bedroom, instantly awakening me. I lay in my bedroll peacefully for a few moments, giving myself a rare luxury, then jumped out of bed and began doing a few warm-up stretches. As usual, I stepped out of my house, grabbing my pack and a spare sword as I did so. Mio greeted me at the door, purring softly, just like he did every morning. I smiled. Everything was in order. A perfect day, if you ask me.

I began heading north, deep into the bamboo forests around my house. I sighed contentedly. If my day continued to go as planned, I could expect to arrive in the village by the time the sun was well up. I would go to the Guh-Ryong for a small bowl of noodles, then hang out with Abyo as he chased after girls, or once again prove to him that ninjitsu is always superior to his kung fu. Once the sun had reached its peak, I would retreat to this bamboo forest to hone my ninja skills, or, if the weather was bad, practice fighting with Mio back home. It was around this time that I would usually get into a fight with Tobe.

I snorted loudly at the thought of my rival. He knew as much about ninjitsu as Santa did, and his "ninjas" knew even less. But everyone knows that a good warrior always needs some sort of rival to keep him on his toes.

_Even if he is an annoying pain in the neck._ I rolled my eyes in patient resignation. Mio flicked his ears back at me in silent agreement.

We walked in our usual silence, relishing the quiet of the morning, the feeling of being the only things living in a new world.

The sky was tinged with pink when we reached our destination. The trail that I always so carefully disguised ended at a large clearing in the bamboo, where the earth began to rise into the mountains and great pools formed in the valleys. It was in here that my haven was hidden.

In the center of the clearing were many large springs. Steam rose from the clear water, warming the rocks that dotted the landscape. I breathed in deeply the delicious scent of steam and wildflowers. It was here that I would come to be alone, to escape from it all when things became too chaotic. To put it simply, I would come here to get away from- I shook a little bit and glanced around nervously- _her._ Pucca.

The very thought of her set my heart pumping in fear. Yes, fear.

Hey, there's no shame in having fear!

Even if it's a little girl that you're afraid of….

I shook my head resolutely. No, I wasn't afraid of her. It was… just a matter of pride, that's all.

Yeah.

That's it.

Mio gave me a piercing stare before turning and hopping onto one of the warm rocks, where he began to bathe himself in the sunlight. I followed him into the spring, removing my clothes as I did so, immersing my body in the warm water. I settled myself, and prepared to meditate.

Something about the atmosphere, or perhaps it was my own mind playing tricks on me, made this one morning different, however. There was a buzz in the air, as if something was around me, coaxing my mind to follow it to who-knows-where. My eyelids felt heavy. The springs felt warmer than usual, the steam softer and sweeter….

I shook myself.

No. I'm not going to fall asleep. I mean, I'm a ninja, right? I should have control over these things by now.

But whatever it was in the air was very persistent. I struggled with myself, then finally gave up, exhausted, and closed my eyes to sleep.

_I was in a large, ornate tent, filled with all sorts of maps and swords and rugs. In front of me was an exquisitely carved table, upon which lay a map. I felt an odd purpose- what it was, I've no idea, but it was very urgent. _

"_Takeshi," said a voice next to me. _

_I felt words come to my mouth unbidden._

"_Yes, Father?"_

_Wait, what? What the hell is going on here? See, this is why I hate dreams-_

_My- his- its- whatever. The voice that came from me but was not mine continued._

"_I've looked at all the records, all the maps… I can find no solution. They have us trapped, Father. I- I don't know what to do."_

_I got a better look at the man next to me as he leaned over to look at the map on the table. He had a strong, worn face, and was wearing a great deal of armor…he definitely looked like a warlord of some kind. _

"_You're still young, Takeshi, you let your fear blind you. There are a number of options we have to choose from. None of them will be easy, but… well, it's war, what do you expect?" He chuckled grimly at his last words. _

_The person whose body I seemed to be inhabiting nodded his head as bravely as he could, and continued talking with his father. _

_By this point, I was getting a little more comfortable with this dream. Apparently the man was a ruler in the middle of a war, and he was imposing upon his son some of the more difficult aspects of leadership. What it means, I have no idea. And I don't care much, either. Though the swords on the wall over there look interesting… I made as if to step towards them, and-_

I woke to Mio batting my eyes with his paws. He stared at me with a mixture of concern and impatience, and meowed once he saw that I was awake. I scratched his head while groggily looking around me. The air felt much warmer, and the light was all wrong, unless…..

Crap.

I looked around for the sun, and found it far too close to the western horizon- about two o'clock, I'd say.

Without a second thought, I ran out of the water and slipped back into my clothes as quickly as I could.

See, on my normal schedule I usually arrive at Guh-Ryong just as everyone is waking up. I eat an early lunch, then hang out with Abyo in the hills or forests around Sooga. Why?

I would think it'd be obvious.

Pucca, of course.

Pucca works as a waitress in the morning, then has delivery duties in the afternoon. If there are no deliveries, she and Ching get together for shopping and those other boring girl things. Most of those things include stumbling upon me _purely_ by chance, and thus the usual chasing ensues.

With this schedule, however, I am able to enjoy a few Pucca-free days, impossible as it may be.

But-

If she hasn't seen me by now, then she'd get either get very worried or very angry. Either way, she ends up looking for me. And thus the usual chasing ensues.

So here are my options- find a good hiding place for the day and wait 'til it's safe to go home, or…

Well, that might work.

If Pucca's out looking for me, then she won't be in the village. So, if I'm in the village….then she won't find me!

Brilliance!

I nearly clicked my heels in joy right then. With a light heart and a clear head, I jauntily strolled back down the trail to Sooga Village.

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Yay! Finally finished it. Sorry for the delay, I've been lazy. I'll get the next one up quicker, promise, but first I'd like five reviews!! And again, thanks to all the people who have reviewed, your support means a lot to me. So remember- just review, and all your wishes will come true!

...Right.


	3. Agitation

Okay, I just finished a game of Sudoku (thirteen minutes, w00t!), and I'm ready to [finally write this chapter! I'm really really really really sorry for how lazy I've been with updates (two months is unforgivable!). True, I have been really busy with school, but I've had plenty of time in which to write this chapter (and three or four more, too). To compensate, I'll give you TWO chapters! And chapter four's gonna be great, I can't wait to write it. Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to ya'll. And/or Hanukah and/or Chinese New Year's.

RANDOM CRAP: It's been a pretty exciting two months for me. I got a car, my dog died (she was fourteen years old!), I got an 1880/2400 (1280/1600) on my SAT, and we have an illustration for _Love Is Funny_! My super-special-awesome friend fishuu drew it, and it looks great, so check it out on her deviantArt. To make things easier for you, just google fishuu, then check her scraps page. It's awesome. Thanks, Fishuu! This chapter will be dedicated to you. And I might put you in the fic later (though it'll probably be because I'm too lazy to come up with a name… . )

BY THE WAY: Right after I wrote Chapter 1, I saw the episode with Santa's origin story. Turns out he's a BA. Who woulda thunk?

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Chapter 2- Agitation

My plan worked perfectly. Pucca was nowhere in sight, and I was able to walk through Sooga Village in peace for once. It was wonderful. The whole street seemed to glow in the sun. The sky seemed clearer. Even the people seemed - if possible - cheerier than usual.

It was great at first! But then…. I started feeling a little unnerved. What was with all the pink? And… why were there so many couples out? I couldn't see any single person amongst the couples. Even Mio had scurried off to flirt with that pink cat he always fawns over. Stupid cat.

Anyways, I was on my last nerve as I walked up to the Goh-Ryong. At least there had been no sign of Pucca yet. Thankfully.

"_Hiiiiii-yah!_"

Without a moment's hesitation, I ducked as a figure whooshed over my head, then jumped up and kicked him in the back of the knees. He fell over backwards, just as I had planned, and I made to elbow him in the face. I stopped the attack inches in front of his nose. We both stayed like that for a few moments, then Abyo suddenly burst out laughing.

"You're sharp as ever, Garu."

I smirked as I helped him back up. He brushed off his back, still grinning.

"Bet you're glad that Pucca's not here."

_Hell. Yes._

I nodded quickly. Why wouldn't I be? A guy would have to be crazy to pass up such a chance at freedom. And I'm not crazy. Abyo continued chatting as they climbed up the stairs to the restaurant.

"Yeah, she left early this morning and hasn't been back all day."

I gave him a questioning glance. What'd she leave for? It was far too early for her to be looking for me. I felt an odd sense of foreboding- something wasn't adding up here.

"Who knows? Ching said something about Valentine's Day, but who knows what that's supposed to mean." He snorted and scuffed his shoe against the ground. "Girls."

I grunted in agreement. What did Valentine's Day have to do with it? It wasn't for another month, at least; it was only the middle of February. Valentine's Day isn't until…. March, right? Yeah. March the… fifteenth.

That's it.

Definitely.

The restaurant wasn't very crowded when we walked in. Ching, Ssosso, and Santa were the only people eating, and Dada was cleaning a table in the back. Ching immediately lit up when she saw us. That crazy chicken of hers was sitting on her head as usual, looking a little alarmed by the disruption.

"Hey, guys!" she cried.

"Hey!" Abyo sat down across from her, and I sat next to him. I wondered for a second why Ching was here this late in the afternoon, but just as quickly let it go. Girls were always doing crazy things. It's best not to think about it.

Dada came and took our order, astoundingly managing to balance a tray of dishes in one hand while writing our order on a pad of paper with the other. At nearly nineteen years old, his balance and coordination had improved considerably, but he still had a ways to go. As if in accordance with my thoughts, he suddenly tripped and dropped the tray with the unmistakable sound of shattering dishes. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

It was then that I noticed - felt, rather - the awkward silence settling over our table. I looked over at Abyo. He was fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat. My glance rolled over to Ching. She was nervously biting her lip and glancing up at Abyo every so often. I suddenly felt the urge to bolt. Then the storm hit.

"A… Abyo?" Ching's voice shook slightly. Abyo jumped as if he'd been zapped.

"What! I mean, uh, yeah?"

They were both trying very hard not to look at each other. I eyed them suspiciously. What the heck was going on?

"I was just w-wondering if you, um… if you…" Her voice trailed off and she was staring at the table as if her life depended on it. She blinked suddenly then glanced up at him. "If you would like to go out with me today."

Abyo stared blankly at her for what seemed like an eternity. Neither of them noticed Dada place our noodles on the table, then quickly walk away as he saw what was happening. I immediately began eating.

Abyo cleared his throat suddenly. "Today…?"

She nodded shyly, still not looking directly at him. Won shuffled her feathers.

Another eternity. I slurped up another spoonful of noodles. _Noodles…_

The atmosphere suddenly shifted, and the tension dissipated like morning fog.

"Sure, why not?" he replied, nearly choking on his words. He grinned weakly back at Ching, who had immediately brightened.

"All right! This is gonna be the best Valentine's Day ever!"

I nearly choked on my noodles. _Wait, what!_ Abyo looked at me worriedly.

"You all right there, Garu?"

I nodded my head, still spluttering. My head was reeling in shock. _How can _today_ be Valentine's Day?_ Suddenly, it all made sense. The couples, the hand-holding, the pink- _ugh_, the pink-

I must have been staring or something, because Ching asked, "Garu, what's wrong?"

I blinked, wondering how to convey this, but Abyo furrowed his brow for a moment, then said,

"Hey, I know! You didn't know that today is Valentine's Day, did ya?"

One horrified look was all it took.

Ching laughed and Abyo thumped me on the back good-naturedly.

"Don't worry, it happens to all of us."

I tried to grin back at them, but a terrible thought struck me- _where the _heck_ is Pucca, then?_

I swear, I nearly felt the floor drop out from under me then. She had to be off planning some horrible, frightening, awful… _date _for us. My face blanched.

Ching and Abyo gave me worried looks. I must've looked something awful right then.

"Garu, are you sure you're-"

I never gave Ching the chance to finish her sentence. Excusing myself as politely and quickly as possible, I stood up and walked as calmly as I could to the kitchen. I had to know where Pucca was. She could just be off doing harmless girly things somewhere for all I knew, but I had to be sure.

I reached to open the door, but it flung open before me as Dada rushed out with a bucket of water. He managed to skirt around me without much trouble. The door swung closed again. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open. The smell of fresh noodles took hold of me as I entered, and I nearly forgot what had been troubling me.

"Ah, if it isn't Pucca's boyfriend!" Uncle Dumpling twittered.

I flinched. Why did everyone have to call me that? It's nothing like that! You couldn't even call us friends anymore. She's more like a friend of a friend of my friend. That's all. Well, it would be, if she didn't obsess over me so much.

Oblivious to my torment, the other chefs turned around, looking slightly surprised. It wasn't often that I came into the kitchen. How would I explain this to them?

"You must be looking for Pucca, then," Ho offered.

I resisted the usual twitch that came upon hearing her name. Instead, I nodded my head as casually as I could. The three chefs immediately lit up when I acknowledged that I was willingly looking for their darling Pucca. Great.

"She left for the beach this morning," Uncle Dumpling nearly sang.

Linguini winked at me. "And said it had something to do with you."

"It must be for your present," Ho finished.

They looked back at me expectantly. I smiled back, knowing it looked more like a grimace, and gave a quick bow before I left the kitchen as quickly as possible. Their chuckling was cut short by the door swinging closed behind me.

" -he'd be so much happier if he just hooked up with Pucca! I don't understand it, Abyo," Ching sighed. Great. More people talking about me. Just what I need right now.

"How is Pucca, anyway? I haven't seen her much."

"I dunno, she's been so distant lately… it's like she's starting to give up hope, Abyo."

Abyo's eyes widened. "Pucca?"

"Yeah, really, right? That's why she's counting so much on today to catch his attention," Ching sighed again.

Well, that certainly rattled me. Pucca was giving up on me? I almost felt worried, but quickly pushed that sentiment aside. Good riddens, right? Right.

But why does everyone have to keep insisting that we should be together? It's not gonna happen! I glared at Abyo and Ching as I approached them, clearly letting them know what I thought about their little chat. Abyo froze as he saw me and almost looked scared. Ching, seeing his expression, turned around. She gasped when she saw me.

"Oh! Garu, we didn't realize you were-"

I never gave her the chance to finish her sentence. Like it mattered. I stormed out of the restaurant with Ching and Abyo's astonished faces staring after me.

It was no longer sunny as I trudged down the road out of the village. Dark clouds covered the sun and thunder rolled all around me. The wind began to pick up.

Mio was nowhere to be seen. _He's probably still off with that damn girlfriend of his_. I have no idea why, but this irked me to no end. I broke off running through the woods to my home as the first few drops of rain began to fall.

It was raining heavily by the time I walked through the door. Every inch of my skin and clothes was soaked. Not to mention I was chilled to the bone.

I was still seething about what had happened at the restaurant, but the run back had helped me to blow off some steam. All I needed now were some clean clothes and a good hour of meditation. And a hot bowl of soup wouldn't do me any harm.

My evening set, I changed into a dry set of clothes, lit some incense, and prepared for my much-needed meditation. I sat down with my sword beside me and began a series of breathing exercises to calm my body and mind. Goodness knows I needed it.

I breathed in. The smell of incense became stronger. Every sound seemed intensified, yet at the same time diminished. Time lost all significance.

I breathed out. All my troubles were forgotten. Now I could bring them back one by one to handle them more easily and with less stress.

So, Pucca was off finding a gift for me. What's so bad about that? I should have expected it. True, Valentine's Day _did_ catch me unawares, but it's nothing to be so agitated about.

Now, about how everyone keeps trying to pair us off. _That_ was certainly something to be agitated about. It's obvious that I have no interest in her. Why would I? She's obnoxious, intrusive, has no respect for anyone else's interests- I could go on and on. I just can't stand her. Yet still they insist on bracketing us together.

I can't stand it anymore! What about what _I _want? Doesn't anyone care about that? Especially _her_! All I want is to-

A knock at the door interrupted my flow of thoughts. I jolted out of my meditation, feeling distinctly peeved. If there's one more thing I can't stand, it's having my training disrupted.

Trying as best I could to curb my agitation, I opened the door. Before I could do anything to defend myself, I was engulfed by a mass of red. And then I heard it- the sound that I hate and fear more than anything else in this world. Her giggle.

I jumped back, and sure enough- it was _her_.

Pucca.

Even though she was completely soaked through, she was grinning up at me. In her arms was a large, wrapped, box-shaped package that could only have been for me. She almost would have looked cute if I hadn't been so damn angry.

I took the package from her and glared at it. It was absolutely horrifying. The whole thing was wrapped in bright pink paper embellished with swooshing red hearts, and tied with a ridiculously poofy red ribbon. A tag was attached with "I Love Garu" scrawled across it in red with hearts covering any white space. A surge of white-hot rage burned through me.

I dropped the present.

Under any other circumstances, I would have taken the present and rolled my eyes as usual. But this had to stop. I was tired of people trying to push me where I didn't want to go, where I had never _wanted_ to go.

I glared at her with pure hate, then slammed the door as hard as I could. There was a long silence, but I finally heard the sound of her moped as she drove away.

I dropped down to where I had been meditating before _she_ came. Never in my life felt so agitated before. I was so sick of her chasing me all the time! Would this never end?

Nothing could calm me down now. Not even three solid hours of sword practice would clear my head. My hair was plastered to my face with sweat as I finally gave up and went to bed.

But even sleep evaded me. I just couldn't shake this agitation I felt. Something was very off, I could sense it.

It wasn't until the earliest hours of morning that I realized it- as I'd slammed the door in her face, Pucca's eyes had been filled with tears.

* * *

I couldn't believe him! After all the trouble I'd gone through to get his gift. And he just _drops_ it and slams the door in my face!

Tears threatened to overwhelm me, but I tried as hard as I could to blink them back. I didn't even pay attention to where I was driving; I just kept going. Anything to get away from there. That look in his eyes- he hates me. I know it.

And why wouldn't he? I know I've been so horrible to him ever since that day.

But he didn't have to act like that! He's always been so polite before; that was one of the things I loved about him so much.

I sighed. _Pucca, you are hopeless_.

My sight blurred with tears again, and angrily tried to blink them back. Why did I have to be like this?

_There's no way I'm ever gonna cry for him again!_

I lifted my arm to my face to wipe away the tears, and then suddenly everything came to a horrible stop. I heard something shatter, and I screamed as I felt a brutal pain in my arm, and then I was flying.

I lost all sense of what was up and what wasn't as I sailed through the air. Then I suddenly straightened out, and I could see the stars stretched out in the sky above me.

_They're so beautiful…_

That was my last thought before I felt a crushing pain and my world disappeared.

* * *

Woohoo, cliffy! Don't worry, I'll post the next chapter tomorrow. It's gonna be so great! This chapter was pretty intense, huh? And long! I expect lots of reviews, of course! Though that's never been a problem with you guys. Until next time, then! 


	4. A Terrible Truth

Wow, Chapter 2 was pretty intense, wasn't it? And long… (it's almost twice as long as the other chapters!!). And guess what? Chapter 3 is gonna be even longer!! It took up three whole pages in my notebook, whereas Chapter 2 only took up one and a half. I'm guessing it will be about…. eight pages. Wow. Chapter 2 was five pages, Chapter 1 was two and a half pages, and the prologue was just over two pages. I'm both excited and terrified at the same time…

So, there's not much else to say now… except for that you need to read Dr. McNinja. It's the BEST WEBCOMIC EVER. Seriously. Read it.

NOW there's not much else to say. Enjoy Chapter 3, ya'll!!

NOTE: You know, one of these days I might actually come up with a name for Takeshi's father. Or maybe not.

DISCLAIMER: Aka "Oh yeah, _that_ thing!" I own nothing except the Pucca and Garu plushies that my boyfriend gave me (awww). And Takeshi is mine. Mine, I tell you!

* * *

Chapter 3- A Terrible Truth 

"_I won't do it, Father!" Takeshi shouted. "I'd rather face them alone than do that!"_

"_Takeshi!" his father scolded. "It is the only way, you must-"_

"_No, there _has_ to be some other way. There has to be."_

_The shogun sighed as he witnessed his son's despair. Things had been going badly with the war. For months his people had fought, and for months his people had been slaughtered. It had seemed hopeless, until one of his advisors had come up with a solution to end the fighting and create a truce instead. It was so simple, so effective-_

_But his son refused to cooperate. _

"_My son, I know how you must be feeling right now," he started. Takeshi merely glared at him._

"_But if you don't do this, our people are sure to die. We ask very little of you. Only that you-" _

"_What, give up my whole life? I just can't, Father, it's too much. I'm not ready for that yet."_

_The shogun felt his anger rising again at his son's total lack of understanding._

"_Takeshi, you will bring great honor to our family if you do this! Think- what can be more honorable than sacrificing yourself to save your people? Son, I implore you. As your father and your general. There is no other way to save our people."_

_There was a long silence. The shogun found himself praying desperately to the gods that his son would see reason. He could understand his son's reluctance; he was only just fifteen. But this was war, and war called for sacrifice. His son needed to learn this, and perhaps then he could become the great ruler he had been raised to be. _

_Takeshi sighed, seeing that his father really was right. But it was just too much._

"_I'll think about it, Father." And he left the tent, the flap swinging closed behind him._

_His father let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. _

_There was still hope._

_

* * *

_

My eyes opened slowly. I was almost surprised to see wooden walls around me rather than the canvas of a tent.

_What a weird dream…_

I shook my head, trying to clear the haze from my mind. It seemed like there was something I needed to know, something that had happened. I tried to remember, but I was still groggy from sleep. I shrugged. I'd remember it later.

To my surprise, Mio still hadn't come back.

_Maybe he's just in the other room…_

I walked into the main room of my house, and then I saw it- the present that Pucca had given to me last night. It lay right where I had dropped it last night. Right before I had slammed the door in her face. Before I had noticed her tears.

A terrible guilt washed over me. How could I have done that to her? No true ninja would ever have taken his own problems out on someone like I had done. There was no honor in it. Less than none.

I sighed, but quelled the rising sense of despair I felt.

_Well, there's an easy way to fix this, at least._

All I had to do was open the present, pretend I liked it, and go thank Pucca for it. Knowing her, she'd just bounce back to her usual self. I might even let her kiss me. That would cheer her up.

With renewed confidence, I picked up the present. That horrid paper was soon lying on the floor as I held an ordinary cardboard box in my hands.

I do admit, I felt just a little bit nervous as I opened that box. It could be something horrible, like that cursed bowtie I thought she had given me; or, it could actually be something nice. There was no telling when it came to a girl like Pucca.

Nothing, however, could have prepared me for what was hidden in that box.

It was just an ordinary glass jar, but inside it were the most beautiful conch shells I had ever seen.

I was astonished. I had been expecting something silly and pointless, and…_romantic_. Not this. I couldn't believe that she had remembered…. The jar nearly slipped from my grasp as I fell to my knees.

* * *

"_Why do you like the beach so much, Garu?" a five-year-old Pucca asked me. _

_I was startled by her question. Why did I like it here so much?_

"_Well, I remember my mother and father would always take me to the beach back home. Actually, it was at the beach that I saw my father smile for the first time."_

_Pucca was listening with rapt attention. It was rare that I talked about my family, and even rarer that I would mention my dead father. _

_I frowned in concentration as the memory became clearer. _

"_He had given me a shell, and told me to listen. I thought he was crazy; what kind of noise could a shell make?" I laughed. "I had never been so surprised when I heard what sounded like the ocean in that shell."_

_I didn't say anything else after that. It was a happy memory, but all memories of my family held a bitterness to me now._

_Pucca suddenly stopped and began sifting through the sand. It was clear that she was getting more and more frustrated by the minute. I kneeled down next to her._

"_What's wrong, Pucca?"_

_She glared up at me with tears in her eyes. "I wanted to find a shell for Garu!"_

_I laughed. She could be so cute sometimes. "Don't worry about it, okay? One day I bet you'll find so many shells for me that I won't be able to fit them in my house!"_

_She frowned for a minute, then quickly brightened again. "Yes, I will!"_

_I stood up and began walking back up the beach again. _

"_You better hurry, Pucca, or we'll be late for lunch."_

_She caught up to me and grabbed my hand. We walked in silence for a moment, and then she said,_

"_I love you, Garu."_

_I looked back down at her, feeling a little confused._

"_I love you too, Pucca." I suddenly smiled at a thought. "You know, you're like a little sister to me."_

_She glanced up at me with wide eyes, then looked away again. "Yeah, I guess."_

_And we continued walking, hand in hand._

_

* * *

_

That had been nearly ten years ago. Did she really still remember our old friendship? To tell you the truth, I was sure she had forgotten, or… well, that it didn't matter to her anymore. If it ever did.

A weak laugh escaped my lips as I thought back to those days. It sounded more like a sob. To my mortification, I felt a lump rising in my throat.

I hastily stood back up. _There's no reason to get all choked up over this, Garu. It's just a jar of shells._

Yeah.

Right.

With a great weariness in my heart, I realized what I had to do. I needed to make things up to her. After all the trouble she must have gone through… she had to have gotten up earlier than me to collect all of these shells. Yet I had treated her so horribly…

My mind made up, I placed the jar on my table. I knew what I had to do now.

I needed to apologize to Pucca.

I was just about to leave, when I heard a frantic knocking at my door.

"Garu! Come on, Garu, open up! It's urgent!" It was Ching.

I opened the door, feeling more than a little confused.

Ching looked nearly faint with relief.

"Oh, thank goodness, I was afraid you'd already left, and then who knows what-"

I stopped her rambling with a raised eyebrow, my symbol for 'Okay, what is it?'

She got the message.

"Pucca hasn't been back at all since yesterday! The chefs are worried sick- she's never been gone this long before without letting them know. Abyo's out looking for her now, but we don't have the faintest idea of where to start," she nearly sobbed. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "We really need your help, Garu. She could be hurt somewhere, all alone…"

I felt a chill run up my spine. If something had happened to her… I shoved the thought aside. Grabbing my sword and jacket, I dashed out into the woods.

Pucca needed me now more than ever, and this time, I wasn't going to let her down.

* * *

Two hours had already gone by, and there was still no sign of Pucca. Abyo had searched all over Sooga Village, while I had checked around the forests and mountains. 

But there was still no sign of her.

I was really getting worried now. If no one had seen her by now, that definitely meant something was wrong.

Very, very wrong.

Worst of all, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was all my fault. If I had only been able to control my temper better-

But there was no time for that now. I could think about that once Pucca was safe.

Gasping for breath, I came to a halt beside an old oak. I needed to rethink my strategy; running around randomly was clearly not working. My breathing became less ragged as I sorted through all the places she could or couldn't be. But nothing came up.

As I stood there, I felt a familiar sensation. Like something was watching me…I jumped back and whirled around, almost hoping it would be her, but there was nothing there. I snorted at myself in disgust. This was certainly no time to be getting jumpy.

Suddenly, something black and furry dropped down onto my shoulder and screeched into my ear. Those ten years of training finally seemed to add up to something as I managed _not_ to jump about ten feet in the air. Instead, I coolly turned my head to see what had attacked me, and-

Two lamp-like, yellow eyes started urgently back at me.

I sighed in relief.

Mio jumped down to the ground and began pacing restlessly around my legs.

I glared down at him. _I don't see you for nearly a whole day, and _now_ you show up?_

He meowed insistently back at me, then darted away, only to stop a few yards from me. He meowed again.

Well, this was weird. I walked back over to him, but he only darted away again. After the fourth or fifth time, I finally got fed up with him. I turned to go back the way I came, but he was on me in a flash. He was screeching at me in earnest now. I hadn't heard him meow like this since the time I'd locked him up so he wouldn't try to sneak off with Yani. Again.

Every time I tried to take a step, he'd run in front of me and nearly trip me.

Then something began to click in my head…

_You want me to follow you, Mio?_

Again, those eyes shone up at me.

I took a hesitant step in the direction he'd been pushing me in. Mio took off running, nothing but a silent black streak in the woods. I immediately ran after him.

_Please, Mio, let this be important…_

It had to be important. Mio was a smart cat; he wouldn't be acting like this for nothing.

We must have run like this for at least five kilometers. Subtle changes in the atmosphere clued me in to where we were headed- the smell of salt on the breeze, the crashing of waves. Farther ahead, I could see a break in the trees; beyond that, the ocean. I had almost reached the break when I heard something _crunch_ beneath my feet.

_Weird, that didn't sound like a leaf…_

I stopped to look around, and found the ground littered with pieces of broken glass. My pulse quickened. Suddenly I heard an urgent cry from Mio. I ran ahead.

What I saw would haunt my dreams for several months to come.

Mio and I stood on a cliff above a small cove. A large rock overlooked the ocean at the edge of the cliff, and smashed against the side of that rock was - what had been - that bike Pucca was always riding. Bits of metal and glass were strewn as far as three meters from the crash, and- gods, was that blood?! One whole side of the rock was nearly covered in it… I tried not to look at it too much, knowing full well where it had come from.

But something was missing.

_Where's Pucca?_

A shiver went up my spine. Somehow, I think I knew exactly where she would be. My faltering steps took me closer to the edge of the cliff and past that rock. Only a few more feet now…

What I saw confirmed my worst fears. There Pucca lay like a broken doll, the water beginning to lap at her feet. Around her was what looked like-

_Oh, gods, no…_

I jumped down what had to have been a five-meter drop - _Did she really fall this far?!_ - and, ignoring the pain in my legs, sprinted over to her.

She was deathly pale, and blood was still oozing from her lacerated arm into the red sand.

_No, no, no, no, no!_

I nearly slipped on the bloodied sand in my haste to reach her. She seemed eerily still. I immediately grabbed for her wrist, trying to feel for a pulse.

Those few moments stretched into eternity….

And then I felt it.

It was very faint, but still there. My hands trembled in relief.

She was still alive. _Alive…_

I chanted that word over and over to myself as I gathered her up in my arms and ran the fastest I'd ever run back towards Sooga.

* * *

What happened next was a total blur to me. I ran nonstop to the Goh-Ryong, Mio racing after me. The only thing I could concentrate on was that faint pulse coming from her wrist. 

_She's still alive, she's still alive, she's still alive…_

The chefs were nearly in hysterics when I arrived. Someone called for an ambulance, I think, and Ching ran off to find Abyo.

I held onto Pucca that whole time. And then some men came and took her from me, and strapped her onto a stretcher. My hand never left hers, though. I think I remember someone telling me to let go, and then someone was yelling…

Then I was on the ambulance, too, sitting next to Pucca as she was rushed to the hospital. My hand never left hers.

As long as I could still feel that pulse, know that she was alive…

But then they had to take her away from me again. The sight of her laying so helplessly on that stretcher…

I tried to follow on numb feet, but I stumbled and couldn't get up. It was then that I realized how badly I was shaking.

There was a hand on my shoulder, and then someone was yelling again. The words sounded oddly distorted to me. Like I was trying to listen to someone underwater.

I felt my body being lifted, and my vision left me then.

There were some more shouts, and then I knew no more.

* * *

My eyes opened blearily. I heard soft voices, then footsteps and a door closing. 

Then it was quiet again.

I tried to open my eyes some more, but the light suddenly seemed too bright. I closed them again.

Seconds or minutes or hours passed as I lay like that. Who knows how long it really was?

Then I tried again. This time I was able to fully open them.

_What… happened…?_

But there was nothing I could recall.

Slowly I tried to sit up, ignoring the pain in my head, and look around the room.

"Hey, take it easy, Garu. You've been out for a while." I turned my head and saw Abyo sitting across from me. Again I tried and failed to remember what had happened.

My head was making me feel sick…

"We were all pretty worried back there. First Ching tells me that you found Pucca, then I come here to find that you've fainted." Abyo tried to laugh. "Crazy day, huh?"

I nodded uncertainly.

And then it slowly started coming back to me. The cliff, the bike, and-

I started to feel sick again. Closing my eyes, I tried to will the nausea away.

It worked.

But my eyes flew open again. Where was Pucca now? Was she even-

The nausea came back, and this time nothing I did could stave it off. Fortunately, there was a trash can right next to my bed.

I retched and retched until there was nothing to throw up anymore. It was pretty damn awful, but at least it got rid of the pounding in my head.

I could sense Abyo doing his best to look away from me. He knew full well how much I hated for people to see me like this.

Now that my head didn't hurt anymore, I was feeling a lot better. And I mean _a lot_ better. I was just about to swing my legs off the bed when a doctor walked into the room, a cup of what smelled like tea in her hands. Ching was close behind her.

"Garu, you're awake!" she cried as she flung her arms around me, Won flapping her wings for balance.

I managed to politely push her away as the doctor came up to me.

"How are you feeling, Garu? Do you feel any pain or dizziness?" she asked as she handed me the cup of tea.

I shook my head and took a sip. The tea was deliciously warm and spicy. My energy returned almost immediately.

"Actually, he was kinda sick before you came in. But he's a lot better now," Abyo corrected. I decided not to glare at him this time. He was only trying to help, after all.

"Well, it's only to be expected. You looked worse than dead on your feet when you arrived," she said, smiling, as she stood up. "I'm glad to see you feeling better, and just push that button by your bed if you need anything."

I nodded, still absorbed in my tea, and she left.

There was silence.

I looked up after a while and realized that Ching and Abyo were both staring at me rather nervously. With a sinking feeling, I remembered what had brought me here. I set the tea on the table by my bed. I was both reluctant and impatient to hear what they were going to say.

When I was ready, I met their gaze.

Ching almost immediately averted her eyes.

"W-Well, um… it's been nearly three hours since you fainted," she began, "and they've still got Pucca in the ER. There was a lot of glass in her arm, and she's lost so much blood…"

I noticed then how red Ching's eyes looked. This didn't look good.

Her voice was almost a whisper now. "Her arm was badly broken, and two of her ribs, too, they think." There were tears running down her cheeks now. She tried to go on, but her voice sounded choked. Abyo put his arm around her shoulders with a casualness that I had never seen in him before. He continued for her.

"Anyway, we've been here ever since they started operating on her and still haven't heard anything."

I looked down when he was done talking.

This really didn't look good.

I swung my legs back off the bed and was able to stand up this time.

_Well, that's one thing gone right today._

Someone had propped my sword by the door. Without a single noise or even a nod, I grabbed it, strapped it to my back, and left the room. Ching and Abyo left with me, Abyo's arm still around her. Together, the three of us walked in silence to the surgical ward.

No one said a word.

We knew we were in the right spot when we saw Uncle Dumpling, Linguini, and Ho sitting by the door. Even Dada was there, wringing what looked like a washcloth in his hands.

Uncle Dumpling stood up when he saw us.

"Garu, how can we ever thank you for saving our Pucca again-"

I cut him off with a raised hand. 'Saving her' is the last thing I would call what I did. _What would they think_, I wondered, _if they knew that she was like this because of me?_

I looked up at them, then Abyo and Ching behind me. How could I tell them how sorry I was? That it was all my fault?

A great weariness filled me. It was my fault that she was like this. It was because of me that she's so hurt.

"Garu, don't you _dare_ try to blame yourself for this!" Everyone looked at Ching in surprise. "Even if something did happen between the two of you, what happened to her was an accident. An _accident_. Right?"

I nodded my head, but my heart didn't agree. They didn't know how horrible I had been to her. They hadn't seen the tears in her eyes as I hurt her in the worst way possible.

We stood like that for a while. Ching had stopped crying, but Abyo's arm was still around her. Uncle Dumpling eventually sat back down with his brothers. Everyone was quiet.

And then the door opened. A doctor stepped out, looking rather nervous. We stared at him like a starving man stares at bread. Our lives were in his hands; one word from him could make or break us.

"I have good news and bad news," he started, somewhat awkwardly. "The good news is that she made it through the surgery. The bad, however…" The man sighed and self-consciously ran a hand through his hair. He hated to be the bearer of bad news. "Well, it doesn't look good. We're afraid she might not make it through the night. Now, I assure you we'll do everything we can to…"

He continued talking to the distraught chefs. I heard something about an infection and a bad fever, but none of the details mattered to me. 'She's still alive' had suddenly turned into 'She's alive- for now.'

I felt a hand on my arm.

"Come on, Garu, we don't need to be here anymore," Ching whispered.

My mind completely blank, I let Ching and Abyo lead me out of the hospital.

The sun glared harshly down on us. With some surprise, I realized that it was nearly three in the afternoon. What had felt like days had only been eight hours.

"Garu, are you listening?"

I blinked. I hadn't even realized that Ching was talking.

Feeling rather dazed, I shook my head.

Ching gave me a sympathetic look.

"Abyo and I were wondering if there was anything you wanted to do."

I looked back at her with confusion. Wasn't it obvious what I wanted to do? I needed to see Pucca. Besides, if she really was going to-

_No._

I would not - _could_ not - let myself think that. All I needed was to apologize to her. And thank her. And make sure she's okay…

"C'mon, Garu, let's go see a movie. Sound good to you?" Abyo's voice penetrated my thoughts.

I thought about it, then shrugged my shoulders. Nothing really mattered to me right now.

Before they could say anything else, I was already heading to the theater.

Abyo glanced over at Ching, then started after me.

"Abyo, wait-"

I could hear them whispering about something. Even though I tried my best not to listen, I heard snippets like, "He needs to talk about it, can't you see?" and "Yeah, but what would he say? If he even wants to tell us, that is."

I kept on walking. Eventually they caught up with me, and we bought tickets for a movie I'd never heard of.

_Does it even matter?_

The theater was nice and dark inside, a definite improvement from the unbearable sunny day outside. We sat in the very back row, Abyo and Ching on either side of me. No one else was in there.

I should have realized right then that it was a trap. That they were going to get me to talk. But I was still too dazed, too unprepared to face reality just yet.

The movie started.

I tried to watch it, but after only a few minutes I couldn't even pretend anymore. So I sat there, trying my best to keep those forbidden thoughts at bay. But I was only so strong.

It was _so _obvious to me that Pucca's accident was my fault, in spite of what Ching had said. If I had only controlled my temper, if I hadn't made her so upset- she would be with us now, not strapped to a bed in the critical care ward. I had to be the worst ninja on the planet. The worst _person_. I had failed.

I had failed myself. I had failed my family- but the thought of them was quickly shoved aside. It was still too painful to remember them.

But most of all-

I had failed Pucca.

It was my fault that Pucca was hurt.

It was my fault if she never wakes up.

It was my fault if she-

_Dies._

I clutched my head in my hands, trying to fight the despair that was growing in me. I could feel my chest heaving as I gasped for air; my hands were trembling as I fought for control. And then there were arms around me, and I heard Ching sob, "She's going to make it, Garu. She's going to be all right."

The dam broke.

Wretched sobs shook through my body. I cried for the first time in ten years, the first time since I had left my family. I could feel Ching's arms around me, and Abyo's hand on my shoulder, but never had I felt so desolate before.

Pucca had always been there when I had awoken in tears from dreams about my family.

She had been the one to hold me and comfort me when I had no one else.

She had been the one to never give up, to face every challenge with me.

And I had failed her.

* * *

It was with heavy hearts that we returned to the hospital. And what we saw didn't bode well. 

Uncle Dumpling and Ho were sitting on the bench by Pucca's room, looking worried. Without even looking up, Uncle Dumpling told us that Linguini was visiting Pucca now. She had just woken up about twenty minutes ago, but she still looked awful. Ching squeezed my arm and Abyo softly thumped my shoulder.

I took a deep breath, trying to control the rising hysteria. Surprisingly, it was much easier to manage now after letting it out at the theater.

Giving them both a look that told them I was okay, I moved to sit on the bench with the two chefs. Ching and Abyo sat down next to me, but this time they were next to each other. Abyo had his arm around her again.

We sat like that for another twenty or so minutes, until Linguini quietly opened then closed the door.

"She's sleeping again," he said in a tired voice. He then stumbled over to the bench and sat down with his head in his hands. I immediately looked away when I saw his shoulders start shaking.

After a few minutes, a nurse came and went from the room. She spoke gently.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to leave now. We'll call you if anything happens."

I ground my teeth at her words.

Leave.

_There's no way I'm going to leave her this time._

So I did the bravest thing I had ever done in my life- I stood up, looked that nurse square in the eye, and walked into Pucca's room. The door closed behind me.

For a minute, though, I wished I had never walked in there.

Her face was still deathly pale, with a slight sheen of sweat. Her arm was wrapped heavily in bandages. The only sounds came from her heart monitor and her shallow, uneven breathing. An IV in her arm connected to a bag of blood hanging on a rack.

I swallowed.

I had to do this.

She needed me to be with her, and this time I _would not _fail her.

Summoning all of my courage, I walked over and sat in a chair by her bed.

I silently vowed to stay with her until she took her last breath. Even if she lived, I would never leave her again.

The nurse came in after a while. "The chefs seem to think that it's okay for you to stay with her, and I can't find any reason why not." She smiled at me. "Let me know if you need anything, 'kay?"

I nodded my head, my eyes never leaving Pucca's prone form.

She left as silently as she had entered.

And so began the longest night of my life.

* * *

For hours I sat there, just watching her. I didn't even think all that much. The only thing I could think about was how helpless she looked right then. 

She would move or twitch every now and then, but nothing more. Her breathing was still fast and shallow.

Everything was going pretty well.

But then she began shivering. At first, her hands were just quivering slightly; but after a few minutes, her whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Sweat was gathering on her brow and beginning to run down her feverish face.

Very carefully, I reached out my hand to touch her face. I jerked it back in surprise- it was burning hot. Feeling a little odd, I then felt her hands. They were like ice. She began to thrash around in her sleep.

Pucca was fighting for her life.

I felt a little confused. She needed to be warmed up, but what could I do about that? There were no blankets in the room, and I didn't want to bother the nurse.

Feeling even more confused, I realized what I had to do. My own body began to shake as I thought about it. My mind, however, was oddly blank.

Trying hard not to think about what I was doing, I eased under the covers next to her.

The thrashing almost instantly began to cease. I breathed a sigh of relief. My presence and body heat seemed to be working. Yet still she shook with fever.

_Great, what the hell am I supposed to do now?_

And then it came to me.

I felt my face flush. There was _no_ way I would ever have done what I was about to do if her life hadn't depended on it.

But her life did depend on it.

On me.

So I awkwardly wrapped my arms around her and held her small body against mine. Nothing changed for a while, but then the shivering became more and more subdued. Her pulse slowed and even her breathing evened out. Eventually, she gave a great sigh and snuggled her head under my chin. She was asleep now.

It was very hard not to panic from holding a girl - and not just any girl - so intimately. She felt so soft and warm against me, and for the second time that day I was immensely grateful for the control I had over my body.

I was surprised at how calming it actually was to hold her like this. The tension slowly began slipping from my body, and it became harder and harder to keep my eyes open.

But soon I, too, was asleep.

* * *

I awoke the next morning feeling strangely at peace. Pucca was sleeping serenely in my arms. Her hair, once stiff and lank with sweat, was now draped softly around her face. I smiled as her nose twitched. Ever so gently, I brushed the offending strand of hair away. 

She looked so much like that five-year-old girl who would fall asleep in my lap on the beach, the girl I had thought I would never see again. I pulled her even closer and sighed in contentment.

Everything was okay again.

I pulled away to look at her face again, just to prove to myself that she was really here. But something was different-

Her eyes were open.

My eyes widened, and I had to fight the urge to jump away as I looked into those eyes. These were not the eyes of that girl of five years, but rather the eyes of the fifteen-year-old one. I steeled myself for the inevitable kiss. _Just take it, Garu, you owe her that much at least._

But it never came.

I opened my eyes - I hadn't even realized that I'd closed them - and studied her face. What I saw were her tear-filled brown eyes staring into mine.

Now the panic that I'd been staving off all night came back full force. What had I done this time?!

She must have seen the panic in my face, for she merely laughed and buried her face into my shoulder. When she looked back up at me again, she was smiling radiantly.

I sighed in relief. At least she didn't hate me.

Then I did what I had intended to do ever since yesterday morning. Looking at her imploringly, I tried as hard as I could to show her all of my regret and my guilt for what I had done to her.

She saw it.

And she forgave me.

I could see it in her eyes, the love and hope and happiness. Her face came closer and closer to mine, and I was shocked to realize what this was one kiss I didn't dread.

But then her lips were against mine, and nothing else mattered. She gave me a kiss so chaste, so full of forgiveness…

I would never, ever forget that kiss.

Then there were suddenly voices outside the room, and Abyo, Ching, and three very anxious chefs burst into the room. They were struck dumb at the sight of Pucca in my arms.

Once they saw that she was awake, however, their shock turned to exuberance. Ching, of course, began crying and threw her arms around Abyo. I stared at them in shock and then quickly looked away as I saw Abyo kiss her full on the lips. That was certainly nothing I needed to get wrapped up in.

I untangled myself from Pucca and sat up to give the chefs some space. One look told me that I should let them have their time with her.

Slowly getting up, I smiled reassuringly at her and squeezed her hand.

_I'll be back soon,_ I promised her in my heart.

A nurse walked in as I was leaving the room, and I heard her start talking to the chefs about how much longer it would be before she came home, the food she needs, and all of that medical stuff. Abyo slipped out after me, looking smug.

I knew very well what was coming next.

He smirked. "So, Garu, how'd you like sleeping with Pucca?"

I rolled my eyes and playfully thumped him in the arm. Hard.

"You know you liked it."

I scoffed and grumbled, but on the inside I smiled.

And as we walked out of the hospital, there was a lightness in my heart that I had not felt in years.

* * *

Okay, you peeps had better BLOODY like this! It took me nearly twelve hours to write. And it's eleven pages, and - HOLY FREAKING CRAP - six thousand words. But it was definitely worth it. Tell me what ya'll think!! 

Chapter 4 will be up next week.

By the way, does anyone else think that the title makes no sense? It just sounded right.

Oh, I'm allowing anonymous reviews now, so there is NO reason why I shouldn't have another twenty-plus reviews when I come back, right? Right. Rawk!

-CPL


	5. This Little Light of Mine

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Weirdly, this is my least favorite chapter to write so far. It seems so dull compared to Chapter 3, and to chapters in the near and not-so-near future. But it's actually really good. Character development and such.

Randomness- my WeatherBug just popped up to tell me there's a tornado watch around where I live. Then it says, "THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION." Isn't that funny? Yes. Yes, it is. Look for this line in later chapters. 

My WeatherBug aside, I've also been busy thinking about where this fic is headed. There's a REALLY cool plotline I just came up with. Here're some hints-

Hojo Tokimune

Yakesukhan 

"Behold a Pale Horse"

Feel free to Google those, except for Yakesukhan. I made that up. 

I've also been compiling a sort of soundtrack for this fic (I'll post the songs on my profile later, 'kay? SO LOOK AT IT). One of the future chapters is actually gonna be a songfic of sorts (it WILL make sense, don't worry). It's awesome. 

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to Obsidian Feather for her story _Letter Bound_. It really inspired the main plot for this story, which will start with Chapter 7. Thanks, Obsidian!

(Actually, it has nothing to do with her story. It was just inspired by it… stop looking at me like that!)

DISCLAIMER: I own no Pucca, but… THE DVD COMES OUT THIS TUESDAAAAAAY (March 18th)! And I will own those. Takeshi still mine.

By the way, it's Pucca's POV for most of the chapter.

* * *

Chapter 4- "This Little Light of Mine…"

I sighed and lay back on the pillow. My uncles had just left, after giving me _the_ longest lecture on safety, then telling me how glad they are that I'm okay. You know, the usual stuff. 

There was a soft knock on the door, then it opened. It was Ching.

"Pucca!" she squealed as she jumped on my bed. Won clucked irritably from her head.

I laughed and sat up. 

"Here, I got you this," she said, rummaging around in her purse. "Hold on… here!"

She pulled out a small pink notebook and a feather pen. "This way we can talk!"

I took it from her, then paused. There were a dozen questions burning in my mind. I hesitated for a moment, wondering which one to ask first. What's up with Garu? How long have I been here? Only little, _completely_ insignificant�things like that. Then I remembered something, something that had popped into my head when I saw Ching and Abyo- I took the pen from her.

'Ching, how'd your date with Abyo go?' I scribbled. I remember how anxious she had been to ask him. If it had gone well, she'd be ecstatic...

_Please let it have gone well, please please please-_

She immediately gasped and clapped her hands to her face.

"I can't believe it, Pucca, it actually worked! I was _so_ nervous, though- but he said yes!"

_All right!_

I threw my arms around her, then wrote, 'So what happened! Tell me! XD.'

"Well, I was waiting for him in the Goh-Ryong. He and Garu finally came in, so I waved them over. I was a little worried about Garu being there at first- it's hard to ask something like that in front of someone else, you know?"

I nodded.

"So they sat down, and we ordered the usual. I was so nervous! I couldn't think of anything to say. But when our food came, I finally pulled myself together. So I asked him if he wanted to go out with me." She stopped, giggling a little. "And he says, 'Today?' You should've seen the look on his face! I've never seen him look that dumbfounded before." Her giggles subsided and she began staring off into space.

I waited for her to go on, but she didn't. So I waited a little more. And more. 

Finally, I shook her arm and wrote, 'That's great, Ching, but what did you guys do!'

"Oh! Sorry. Guess I kinda lost track there."

I stared at her impatiently.

"Fine, fine. Anyway, we just walked around town for the day. That's all."

'Then why are you blushing so much?' I was _not_ letting her get away with this one.

"W-what! I'm not blushing!"

'Ching, your face is redder than my shirt. What would you call that?'

We were both laughing now. It was all so exciting; Ching had been going after Abyo for nearly as long as I had been chasing Garu. Now, at least one of us had finally gotten her man.

Ching stroked Won's beak as she finished laughing. "All right, so we might have taken a little stroll on the beach."

'And that's not all, is it?' I scrawled back.

She swatted my arm, blushing even more now.

"Of course it's not! Anyway, I might have kissed him. And," she took a deep breath, "he might have kissed me back."

My eyes nearly popped out of my skull. 

'Are you kidding me! ABYO kissed you back!'

This was great!

But then I sighed. If only it were so easy to win my Garu's heart…

Ching immediately recognized the look in my eyes.

"Hey, Pucca, don't worry about it. Abyo's a lot different from Garu, you know. He's just grown up a little more, while Garu's always been… well, Garu."

'I've known that, Ching, but how does that help me? Garu's always so indifferent to me.'

A spark immediately lit in Ching's eyes. 

"And _that_ is where you're wrong, Pucca."

I gave her a skeptic look. 

'All right, then, shoot.'

"He-_llo_! Why else would he stay with you all night! And he _did_ look pretty cozy with you this morning."

I blinked. She was... right. 

_How_, exactly, had I forgotten about that?

"And you should have seen him when he brought you in! He looked ready to pass out - he did, actually, later - and he never let go of you. He wouldn't even let them put you on the ambulance! The chefs had to persuade the paramedics to let him ride in the ambulance with you. You still call that indifference?"

A slow smile began creeping up my face. 'He really did all that?' My hands were shaking in excitement.

"Of course he did! Pucca, I have never seen a guy look so anxious before." Her eyes suddenly widened. "You know, he actually _cried_ while we were in the theater. Cried, Pucca! Have you ever seen Garu cry before?"

No. Way.

There was _no _way that Garu could have cried over me. 

Ching was smiling at me triumphantly now. 

"Anything else you'd like to-"

She was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. 

"Come in!" Ching cheerily replied.

A doctor walked in, carrying a clipboard in her hands.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Pucca. Feeling any better?" she asked.

Ching scooted over to the chair as I nodded.

The doctor smiled. "That's very good. Now, I need to check a few things, okay?" She removed the stethoscope from around her neck. "Take a deep breath."

She checked my heartbeat, then my blood pressure, temeperature, and all of that doctor stuff. 

"Well, your fever's nearly gone now. Your monitor indicates that it spiked to nearly forty-one degrees Celsius last night, but it decreased to thirty-eight after a few minutes (1)." 

My eyes widened and Ching grinned back at me. _Was that why Garu had held me?_

"It's almost back to a healthy thirty-seven now." She scribbled something on her clipboard. "Could I see your arm, please?"

I pulled back the covers a bit so that my left arm was exposed. She pushed on it gently. It barely hurt, but that was only because of the pain meds they had me on.

"Does this hurt?"

I shook my hand- _only a little._

"Good, good," she murmured as she continued to scribble on her board. "Okay. Do you feel any pain when you sit up, move around…?"

I shook my head.

"All right, Pucca, you're looking great. We can let you out tomorrow if your fever's back down, but you'll need to be in a wheelchair for about two weeks or until your ribs are fully healed. It shouldn't take long; they were only fractured." 

She finished her scribbling, then sat up and walked towards the door.

"I'll come back to check on you later."

I nodded. 

"Oh, and Pucca? Go easy on Garu, 'kay? He's had a rough time." She winked cheerily at me, then left. 

There was a short pause. It didn't last very long.

Laughter bubbled out from both of us as Ching rushed over to hug me again.

"Can you believe it, Pucca? He _so_ cares about you!"

I laughed and nodded. Never would anyone have thought that Garu - silent, stolid Garu - would do something so tender, so caring… especially to me. Pen in hand, I quickly scribbled a note to Ching-

'I guess you were right.'

"Of course I'm right, Pucca! And you know what? I'm going go get Abyo to help me get you two together."

An odd sensation came over me. The kind of feeling you get when it looks like rain after a drought. 

Hope.

We sat for a few minutes, laughing and hugging one another, when someone knocked at the door for the third time that day. 

"Come in!" Ching called.

The door opened slightly. 

My heart did its usual flip upon seeing him- my Garu.

He walked into the room, looking a little overwhelmed by all of the hugging.

I resisted the urge to giggle. He was so cute.

Ching stood up and, giving me one last hug, said, "Hope you feel better soon, Pucca," and left. 

'Good luck!' she mouthed, smiling.

Ever the gentleman, Garu held the door open for her as she walked out, then closed it behind her. He stood there a while, fidgeting nervously.

There was a heavy silence over us.

It was an uncomfortable silence. The kind of silence where you want to say something, but think that whatever you say will shatter the moment forever and leave you worse off than you were during the silence.

It was _that_ kind of silence.

I sighed. He clearly wasn't going to do anything anytime soon, so it was up to me to take action. I patted the space next to me on the bed.

He jumped slightly at the sudden movement, then slowly walked over to me. He sat down.

My cheeks flushed as I remembered the last time he had been on this bed… Was he thinking about that right now? 

I looked up at him, and our eyes met. He quickly looked away, his face coloring slightly. A small grin lit on my face. Apparently, he was.

He looked back after a while, and hesitantly extended a hand to my face. 

My pulse sped up.

His hand gently touched my forehead. He nodded to himself, then withdrew his hand. 

That silence began circling around us again, waiting for a chance to strike.

I wanted to talk to him so badly… but what could I do?

Inspiration hit me like a bolt of lightning

_The notebook!_

I pulled it out from under the covers with the pen, then held it out to him. He eyed it apprehensively, then looked at me. Clearly he didn't understand.

Again it looked like I would have to be the one to do something around here.

I was about to write something down, when a sudden thought hit me-

_It's been nearly ten years since we've said a thing to one another._

The gravity of the situation hit me then. 

But was I gonna let that stop me? Of course not!

'So, how are you?' I wrote. Painfully simple, but a good way to start nonetheless.

Understanding finally dawned in his eyes as I handed him the pen and paper.

He looked at the question for a minute. 

'I guess I'm all right. How are you feeling?'

I felt the old ease of our friendship return as he handed the pen back to me. Sitting up so I could write more easily, I wrote back, 'Much better. The doctor says I can leave tomorrow, actually. As long as my fever doesn't go back up.'

His eyes widened. You know, he actually looked… happy… that I was doing so well. 

'That's good news. Do the chefs know yet?'

I shook my head, then took the pen from him.

'Anyway, how are you? Ching told me about what happened.'

For a minute, he looked annoyed, but he shook himself and the look quickly vanished.

'It's nothing I can't handle,' he shrugged.

Again, I resisted the urge to giggle. He could be so stubborn sometimes.

We went on like that for hours, talking about meaningless things. I asked how Mio was doing, and he asked about Abyo and Ching. He actually looked surprised when he heard what had happened between them.

Ironic, isn't it, that the best ninja in town was completely clueless when it came to love?

But all too soon the visiting hours ended and it was time for him to leave. He winced a little as he stood up.

Before he could leave me, though, I grabbed his hand and mouthed, 'Thank you,' to him. He grumbled and blushed a little, but I could have sworn I saw a small smile. 

And then he was gone.

I lay back on my pillow, smiling. 

Things weren't perfect yet, but they were definitely getting better.

* * *

It must have been hours until I was exhausted enough to go to bed. I didn't even bother to pull the blanket over myself.

Four hours had passed since I had left Pucca's side. 

Four hours I had trained and practiced and meditated until I was ready to collapse.

And yet a fog persisted over my mind. 

I felt completely numb, like everything that had happened was only a dream. 

Hell, maybe it was.

Tossing and turning, I only just managed to make myself comfortable. Everything felt too hot and too cold at the same time. 

_Just ignore it and get some sleep, Garu, _I chastised myself.

Surprisingly, that seemed to work. The numbness in my mind spread throughout my body as sleep overtook me. I was dimly aware of Mio wrapping himself around my head. 

I sighed.

_All right, Mio, you can sleep here tonight._

His comforting purr rumbled through my head as I fell further and further into sleep.

_I suppose he does deserve it, after all he did yesterday…_

Then it hit me-

Yesterday.

I must've jumped ten feet in the air as the full reality of yesterday's events slapped me full in the face.

Great Kami, had I done what I thought I had?

Mio was growling from across the room. He clearly disapproved of my actions earlier. 

Well, whatever. He could deal with it. I, on the other hand, had more pressing matters to deal with. 

Like that fact that I had-

No.

I could hardly even think it. It was just too much for any one person to take in all at once like that. Right? 

Angrily, I clutched my face and groaned. There was _no_ way I was going to get any sleep now.

I stood up and headed for the door. Maybe a good long bath would calm my nerves… 

And I'd better make it extra hot.

* * *

It seemed to take less time than usual to reach my secluded haven. Nothing like a busy mind to make time fly, I guess. 

I snorted slightly.

The air around me began to heat up noticeably as I entered the clearing. Even in the darkness of night the steam was clearly visible. 

But something felt off-

I could hear something, almost feel a presence there…

Drawing my sword, I took a step forward.

For one crazy moment, I thought it might be _her_- but then my rational mind quickly extinguished that thought.

I took another step forward, but to my eternal shame, I- 

I stepped on a twig.

_And it broke._

To a ninja, such an act is nigh unforgivable. But there was little time to think about that as I heard a loud splash and-

"_Hiiiiiiii-ya!_"

As usual, it was easy to dodge Abyo's attack. He landed just behind me, his back turned, and apparently hadn't even seen me. I rolled my eyes and sheathed my sword. Even with incidents like this one, he continued to insist that kung fu was better than ninjitsu. 

I tapped him on the back.

He whirled around, looking ready to yell again, then stopped dead as he saw me.

Raising an eyebrow, I looked him up and down- _What the heck do you think you're doing?_

"Oh, uh, Garu. It was just, um…you," he said, looking rather chagrined.

A short while later and we were both relaxing in the hot spring. Abyo explained to me that he had found this place while searching for Pucca yesterday, and thought it looked like a good place to relax for a while.

He looked almost as sore as I was.

I sighed and sank into the water up to my nose. 

There was a calm silence. 

Abyo broke it after a while. "The stars sure look pretty tonight."

I looked up at them. They looked the same as ever to me.

"Almost as pretty as when I saw them with Ching." His voice was oddly soft now.

Why was he telling me this? I don't think I've ever shown any interest in his love life before. Or anyone else's, for that matter.

Abyo turned and looked at me with a far-off look in his eyes. "I know it sounds crazy, but I really do think I love her, Garu." He laughed softly. "Last week she was just Ching to me, but now…" He shook his head, smiling to himself.

This is why I stayed away from love. It does crazy things to you. 

Then he suddenly turned back to me.

"You know, Garu, Pucca hasn't been so bad lately."

Now _this_ really didn't look good. My body began to prepare itself to run at a moment's notice.

"You should take a chance with her. Hey!"

He threw his hands up defensively as I shot him a murderous look. He knew full well that Pucca was a forbidden subject with me.

"I'm just sayin', Garu. I took a chance, and just look at what happened to me! I'm still alive, aren't I?"

I rolled my eyes. Ching clearly had never knocked him out so that she could kiss him half to death.

Abyo sighed. He knew that things had never been easy between me and Pucca after that day on the beach. 

"Look, Garu-"

I grumbled loudly and sank down further, praying he would just let this go.

"Garu, I'm your friend, okay? I just want to see you happy. I hate seeing how miserable the two of you are." He got a strange look in his eye then. 

"Don't you at least want her to be happy?"

I grumbled again.

"Well?"

There was a short silence. Then, reluctantly, I nodded. 

I mean, who doesn't want to see their ex-best friend happy? 

_As long as it doesn't involve chasing me anymore…_

Abyo began to smile triumphantly. "Then don't you think you owe her at least that much?"

I flinched. That had definitely struck a nerve. 

"Garu, she's crazy about you. If you're even just friendly to her- would that really be so bad?"

He had me there. So I thought about it-

She actually hadn't seemed so bad lately. Our visit today had almost been… fun.

If you could call swapping a notebook back and forth fun.

I guess it really wouldn't be so bad… especially if it made her happy.

I nodded my head again, this time with a little more confidence.

Abyo grinned and took a playful swipe at me. "See? You'll be fine."

We started a splash fight after that, but Abyo got tired and left after a few minutes.

And once again, I was alone with these strange thoughts.

Could I really patch things up with Pucca?

I knew the answer- I had to. 

Like Abyo said, I owed her that much, if not more.

It actually didn't seem that hard when I thought about it… if I could pretend that things had never fallen apart between us, that she had never loved me-

But I knew instantly that I could never pretend that. It was just too much a part of our relationship… thing… whatever we had.

If even that much.

I had all but ignored her for the past five years. My schedule was mapped out so that I would see her as little as possible.

What had that ever done for me? Abyo was right, I was close to miserable living this life of hide-and-seek. It was most unbecoming of a ninja.

Things needed to change. If I had learned anything over the past couple of days, it was that.

With a smile I remembered how adorable she had looked with her hair down around her shoulders. Almost like when she was little…

I shook myself. The last thing I needed was to blend those two Puccas together. The Pucca of my childhood was dead to me now. _She_ had entirely taken her place.

And yet that, too, was untrue. The feelings that had been evoked in me- the protectiveness, the worry, the relief- they all said something different.

I thought for a moment about what Abyo had said. Maybe, then, I really did-

Walls immediately flew up inside my mind, shielding me from the forbidden.

All I wanted was for her to be happy. And safe.

But my heart sang a different song.

* * *

(1) Forty-one degrees Celsius is about one-oh-six Fahrenheit. You'll actually die if it gets over one-oh-seven. Thirty-seven is the norm (98.6 F).

This chapter actually feels short. See what Chapter 3 did to me? SEE! I actually had to put myself in writing rehab for a day or two, it affected me that much. Totally worth it, though. 

Quick tidbit on Garu's character- He doesn't believe in love, and is really hard on himself about it. A lot of that is because of his father's death. He also feels a very strong sense of duty/honor and the need to fix what he's messed up. That's why Abyo managed to manipulate him like that- the guilt trip. So Garu's not really OOC, he's just got psychological issues! W00t.

Chapter 5 will be up next week- and twenty reviews would be wonderful, don't you think? I think so. So review, and Chapter 5 MIGHT be a day or two early (hint hint)!

-CPL

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